Harsh consequences

Driver’s license gone? This is how a tough psychological test works

Anyone who has drunk too much and drives a car must expect harsh consequences. Many people are not initially aware of just how severe these consequences are.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

Anyone who gets behind the wheel drunk must rightly expect the full force of the penalties. Drunk driving offenders report tough psychological tests in order to get their driver's license back. Krone+ shows the methods used in the VPU (traffic psychological examination) and what you can expect there in detail. 

The "Krone" previously reported on officially prescribed hair tests, which have their pitfalls. The hair stores any alcohol or drug consumption for a long time, which can result in lifelong problems with your driver's license: You can read more about this here. From a measured value of 1.6 per mille, the drunk driver is caught up in the merciless mills of the law:

• A fine of between 1600 and 5900 euros
• At least six months' disqualification from driving
• Hair or urine tests depending on the state
• Appointment with the official doctor
• Retraining
• Traffic psychological assessment - and it's a tough one (see below)

Drunk drivers have bad cards right from the start
All steps are associated with additional high costs and appointments, but in this article we will focus on the VPU. This psychological examination is mandatory, and various associations, curatorships and lawyers offer preparatory courses on the Internet, which of course also cost something. Texts on the homepages talk about a calm, trusting atmosphere in a one-to-one conversation, but the Association of Austrian Psychologists defines a typical drunk driver as follows - see excerpt below: